[App Review] Osmos for iPad

Originally launched for the PC, Linux, Mac and iPhone/iPad, Osmos has finally arrived to the iPad and I’m blaming it for the sleepless night I had last week.

The goal of the game is pretty simple – place yourself in the “life” of a mote, propel yourself in a confined or sometimes uber-vast area and get big by absorbing other smaller organisms called motes. Don’t you ever dare absorbing bigger motes because they will just “terminate” you instead.

Propelling yourself as a mote is as easy as expelling some of your mass. Tap the outer-left part of yourself and you will propel to the right. Tap the outer-right part of yourself and you will propel to the left. Over tap, then you will become the smallest speck of organism in the vast area of larger motes and be absorbed by them a whole lot easier. Of course, you don’t want that to happen, right?

This game feature 3 zones or levels – sentient, ambient and force.

Osmos, in my honest opinion, is the simplest yet one of the most innovative games I’ve played so far on the iPad. I never got the chance to play it on the PC so I am lucky to have it played first on a touch-screen device such as the iPad. The game experience is like a roller coaster ride – it’s easy, then becomes difficult but, over-all, an enjoyable experience.

The graphics isn’t top notch but it doesn’t deviate from the game’s core essence – immerse yourself in the life of a mote and become big as the universe. The music creates a peaceful ambience and enhances the over-all experience of the game . It’s very calming, which suits perfectly to what the game wants you to feel especially during the stressing parts. I actually even used it just to relax – a perfect alternative to white noise for me.

Over-all, Osmos HD may not be the best looking game for the iPad but its shows a lot of promise. It is like the relaxing and “organic” version of Katamari; a simpler kind of your Spore creature; and a picture of how A-H1N1 virus spread into other cells and parts of your body. The gameplay and music is relatively addicting, so if you’re into merging motes and organs and sublime electronic music, then stay away from this game because you might end up playing this game like forever.

Osmos HD is available in iTunes for only $4.99. Osmos is also available for the Windows, MAC and Linux for only $10.00. You may try Osmos for PC by clicking this.

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Giancarlo Viterbo is a Filipino Technology Journalist, blogger and Editor of GadgetPilipinas.net, He is also a Geek, Dad and a Husband. He knows a lot about washing the dishes, doing some errands and following instructions from his boss on his day job. Follow him on twitter: @gianviterbo and @gadgetpilipinas.